Method and apparatus for drilling wells



July 28, 1925. H. A. STEELE METHOD AND-APPARATUS FOR DRILLING WELLS ATTORNEY Filed Feb. 5, 1924 July 28, 1925.

H. A. STEELE METHOD AND APPARATUS 'FOR DRILLING WELLS o l J 8 MF f 0 mi; f

Filed Feb, 5, 1924 mnT/l/ s s s e N w ATTORNEY ing Wells,

Patented July 28,- 1925.

HAMPTON A. STEELE, or LAw'roN, OKLAHOMA -IMIE'lHOll AND APPARATUS FOR DRILLING WELLS.

Applicationmed February 5, 1924. serial No. 690,806.

To all rwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1HAMr'roN A. STEELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lawton, in the county of Comanche and Sta-te of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Method and Apparatus for Drillot' which the following is a speelfication'. v

Thisiinvention relates to the drlllmg of wells, with particular reference to the loca-l tion and determination of oil orgas bearing sands or the like. will generally be used in connection with the devices disclosed in my companion applications, Serial Nos. 690,805 and 690,807, filed of even date herewit In carryingon drilling operations, particularly when prospecting in fields which `'have not been proven, it is desirable to obtain an accurate record of the different strata, not only to avoid misslng any pro- .'ductive sands, but also for purposes of comparison to determinextheir probable trend and extent. This has`usually been accomplished by what is known as core drilling, in which a core barrel is used, having at its lower end a cutting tool with an annular series of teeth, and the entire string of pipe is withdrawn from time to time in'order toobtain the core.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a -method and apparatus for drilling, which constitutes an improvement over the present methods of core drilling, and by means of which the cuttings from the bot-tom of the hole, including-the core, are brought to the surface as soon as they are detached without being mixed with cavings or washings already 'drilled through, and without withdrawing the tools. Provision is also made for drilling with .the ordinary fish tail bit, when desired, as is done under the present systems of rotary drilllng.

In carrying out the invention, a string of duplex inner and outer pipe is used in which the sections are connected by a special form of tool joint, and a special formr of grief joint is used, whereby during operation water is introduced through the outer pipe under suiiicient pressure to counteract the pressure outside the pipe and to cause a return flow through the inner pipe. whereby the cuttings are brought to the surface unmixed -with any mud or cavings The present invention they drilling from the side of the hole, so that the charac-- ter and location of the various strata may be determined with the same accuracy as in the usual method of core drilling. Whenever necessary the special grief joint may he disconnected and the usual form of grief joint substituted, and mud may then be introduced through the inner pipe to mud up the sides of the well to prevent the escape of the water into the well, and to increase the specific gravity of the iluid'outsideof the drilling tool.

l The invention also includes an improved drilling tool especially adapted for use in carrying out this method, but good results may also be obtained by using the usual type of core drill,'in connection with the method herein defined. i

The advantages of the invention and principles of its operation will be more particularly explained in the following description, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one way in which the invention may be carried out.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is asectional view of a wel] showing the apparatus in position for drilling.

Figure 2 is a diametric section through the lower portion of the apparatus, showing the improved tool joint and improved drill tool.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the drill tool.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a bottom -plan view of the drill tool.

Figure 6 is a diametric section through the improved grief joint.

Figure 7 is a diametric section through the male member of the tool joint.

' Figure 8 is a diametric section through the female member of the tool joint.

Figure 9 is a horizontal section taken on the line 9 9 of Figure f?.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the member shown in Figure 8. y

Figure 11 is a diametric section showing the means for using the ordinary grief joint to mud up the hole.

In carrying out the present invention, as illustrated in the drawings, line is used, consisting of outer and inner concentric pipe sections 1 and 2 connected end to end by tool joints, which are of novel a duplex pipe construction and form the subject matter of my co-pending application,`-Serial No. 690,- 805, above referred to. Each tool joint consists of a male member 4, and a female member 5. Each member has internally. threaded flanges 8 and 9, which engage the adja- ,cent threaded ends' of the next sections of ber 4 is provided with a central bore 13.

which connectsthe inner pipe sections, and each of the-members 4 and 5 have annular series of..pass`ageway's 14, whichlead from.' the annular spaces between the outer and inner pipe sections, and the abutting shoulders 12 are provided with continuous annular grooves 15 Which register with each other so as to connect the several passagewayfs 14 of the respective members of the joint, and consequently form a continuous passageway regardless of the relative positions of the respective'members 4 and 5. It will be understood that the pipe sections 1 and 2 of each length of duplex pipe are cut to the same length so as to t when joined together.

For carrying out the drilling operation, it is preferred to attach to the lower end of the pipe line a cutting tool 16 of special construction, as .illustrated in Figures 2 and 5. This cutting tool is provided withconcentric internally threaded flanges 17 and 18, adapted for threaded connection to the lower ends of the pipe sections 1 and 2. The

working face of the tool is provided with" an outer series of cutting teeth 19, the outer edges of which are flush with the body of the tool and an inner series of cutting teeth 20, both series of teeth being of the same length. The tool is provided centrally with a bore 21 adapted to register with thebore of the inner pipe.. The points 22 of the teeth 20 extend downwardly' and inwardly.

slightly beyond the periphery of the bore 21, so that the core which is cut by the tool may vfreely enter the bore. while the teeth 19 terminate short ofthe The teeth 19 and `20 are preferably. detachable, and any preferred means may be used for securing them to the face of the -tool. As shown in the drawings, each tooth is set in a radial channel in the bottom face of the tool and is held by a screw 23, which is threaded into a socket in the tool. The cutting tool is provided with a series of passagewa s 24 in alinement with' the annular s ace tween the pipe sections 1 and 2, an branches 25 connect these pways with the bore 21. During the drilling operation, water is introduced under pressure. through the outer pipe, and through the passageways 24. Since the teeth 19` are flush with the outer surface of the tool, it formsa comparatively ments of core as soon as they are detached.

Thus, the operator knowing the depth at Which the tool is operating can accurately locate and determine the nature of the strata through which he is drilling.

In the usual grief joint, the water for the drilling operation is introduced throu h what corresponds to the inner pipe of tie present construction. I have, therefore, provided a. grief joint of special construction, as shown at 26. This grief joint may be rotated in the usual manner by means of a `rotary table 41 splined to the grief joint as indicated at 42 and driven by a beve pinion 43. It has an outer casing provided with a threaded lower end'27 adapted to be connected to the outer ange 8 of the upper male tool joint member 4, and an'inner casing 28 with a-lower threaded end 29 adapted to be connected to the inner lange9 of the member 4. The upper end of the inner casing 28 is curved outwardly, and extends through the side of the outerl casing 26, as indicated at 30. Thus, Iit will be readily understood that Water may be introduced into the upper end of the casing 26 .as it rotates, while the return flow is discharged through the outlet end 30 of the inner section 28; The upper curved portion of the section 28 is enlargedso as to permit the free passa e of the core fragments, An annular troug 31 may be independently supported underneath the outlet 30, and provided with a discharge nozzle 32 having a hose connection. The trough 31, as shown in Figure 1, i

may be supported by cables 33 passing over sheaves 34, and provided at thelr other ends with weights 35.

Whenever it is desired to .use a fish tail bit, or to. mud up the hole, the grief joint 26 is disconnected and replaced by a grief joint of the usual type,as indicated at 36 in Figure.

The member 37 also has an annular shoulder 39,'Which abuts against tl1e.upper extremity of the member 5, and forms a closure for the passageways 14 leadin from theV outer pipe. The upper end of t e member 37 .is mternally threaded to receive the lower end of the grief joint 36, and an axial bore 40 i troduced through the inner pipe.

is provided through the member 3;?, whereby mud or water under pressure may be in- While I have shown and described in.detail .the specific structure of one cutting tool which may be used in connection with the invention, it will be obvious that other forms. of cutting tools maybe used therewith. It will also be. obvious that the specific construction of the special grief joint, used in the method herein described, may be modiiied Without departing from the salient features of the invention. Itis to be observed also that the same duplex string of pipe may be used in core drilling, or in drilling with a fish tail bit, or in mudding up the hole. The' same string may also be used for other purposes, which Will readily occur t those familiar with deep Well operat-ions.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of drilling oil Wells, which consists in rotating a cutting tool at thel lower end 'of a duplex string of continuousl inner and outer pipe, while water is introduced into theouter pipe under sufficient pressure to counteract the pressure outside the pipe, and temporarily -discontinuing so that the cuttings,

from time to time the introduction of water through the outer pipe, while forcing mud through the inner. pipe intothe space surrounding the outer pipe so as to cause the. water, when its introduction through the outer pipe is resumed, to return through the inner pipe, which is the course of least resistance, carrying the cuttings, as fast as they are detached, tothe surface, unmixed with any mud or cavings from the side of the hole.

2. The method of drilling oil wells, which consists in rotating 'afoutting tool at the lower end of a duplexstring of continuous inner and outer plpe, while water is continuously introduced for a time into the outer pipe'under suiicient pressure to counteract the pressure outside the pipe, and to cause a return low through the inner pipe as fast as they are detached, are carried to the surface unmixed with any mud or cavings from the side of the hole, and then discontinuing the introduction of' water through the outer pipey while mud is introduced through the innery pipe to mud up the sides of the well.

3. The method of drilling oil wells, which consists in rotating a core cutting tool at the` lower end of a duplex string of continuous inner and outer pipe, while water is introduced into the outer pipe under suficient pressure to counteract the pressure outside the pipe and to cause a return flow through the inner pipe, said inner pipe acting as a core barrel so that the core, as fast as it is detached, is carried to the surface unmixed with any mud or cavings from the side of the hole, and when necessary dlscontinuing the introduction of water through the outer pipe while mud is introduced of the well, and to increase gravity of the fluid outside the in order to the well.

4. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combinatiqn of a duplex string of concentric inner and outer pipe interconnected at each joint and having inner and outer passageways throughout its length, a core cutting tool having passageways therethrough, means for securing the tool to the lower end of the string of pipe with its passageways in. alinement with the respective vpassa-geways through the inner a grief joint provided with an inlet passageway adapted to be connected tothe outer pipe to admit water thereto, and having .an outlet adapted to be connected to the inner pipe and discharging through@ the side of saidA inlet passageway.

5. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a duplex string of inner and outer pipe, means for attaching a cutting tool to the lower end thereof, and a griet' joint provided with an inlet passageway adapted to be connected to the outer pipe to admit water thereto, and having an outlet adapted to be connected to the inner pipe and discharging through Vthe side of said inlet passageway.

6. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a duplex string of concentric inner and outer pipe interconnected at each joint andhaving inner and outer pasthe specific prevent the escape of waterinto sageways throughout its length, a core cut.

ting tool having passageways therethrough adapted to form a continuation 'of the pas'- sageways through said pipe, curing the tool to the lower end of the string of pipe, a grief joint provided with inner and .outer .passageways, means for connecting the grief joint to the upper end of the string of pipe with its inner, and outer passageways forminga continuation of the passageways through the string of pipe, the inner passageway of the grief joint having its upper end curved and extending through the wall 0f the outer passageway.

7. In an lapparatus for drilling wells, the combination of aI duplex string of inner and outer pipe interconnected at each joint,l

means for attaching a cutting tool to the lower end thereof, and a tool joint attachable to its upper end provided with means for closing the passageway through the outer pipe, said joint having a central bore to aline with the inner pipe and terminating in an internally threaded fiange for the drilling tool and outer pipe, and

through the inner pipe to mud up the sides means for seattachment of a grief joint having a single passageway.

8. In an apparatus for drilling wells, the combination of a duplex string of concen- 'au outer casm their lower en tric inner and outer pipe interconnected at each joint, a core cutting tbol having passageways adapted to aline with the passageways t rough theduplex pipe, securing the tool to the lower end of the pipe, a grief 'oint provided with an inlet passageway a apted to be connected to the outer pipe to admit water thereto and having an outlet adapted to be connected to the said outlet having its upper end curved and extending through the sideA of the' inlet passageway, an annular trough adapted to surround the grief joint beneath its. outlet, and means for independently supporting the trough in that position.- 9. A grief joint for use with a duplex string of inner and outer pipe, comprising and an inner casing with threaded for connection to the upper ends of the duplex string of pipe, the inner casing having its upper end curved and extending through the wall'of the outer casing. j l

10. A Agrief joint for use witha duplex string ogfinner and outer pipe, comprising an outer casing and an inner casing, with their lower ends concentric and threaded for connection to the upper-'ends of the duplex string, the inner casing being curved at its upper end and extending throu 'h the wall of the outer casing, sai curve portion being enlarged so as to permit the passageway of .elongated fragments of the core.

means for- 11. A grief joint for use with a' duplex strin of concentric inner and outer pipe andi aving a passageway extending from its upper end for introducing water under pressure into the outer pipe of the string, means for receiving a, return How from the inner tpipe and discharging the same through its si e wall, a circular 'trou h adapted to surround the grief joint, an vindependent means for supportin thejcirculartrough beneath the point of ischarge, so as to continuously receive the material discharged while the grief joint is rotated.

12. A grief string of inner and outer pipe, comprising an outer casing provided withl means for connection to the outer pipe of the string, an inner casing provided with means for connection to the inner pipe of the string,

saidl inner casing having its upper end enlarged and curved outwardly and extending through the wall of the outer casing, an annular trou h adapted to surround the outer casing, an independent means for Support'- ing 't e outer trough beneath the outer end of the inner casing for receiving the material4 discharged therefrom While the grief joint is rotated. v

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I havehereto aixed my signature.

HAMPTON A. STEELE.`

joint for use with a duplex` 

